Pasta for school lunch can be a lifesaver on busy mornings. Pack a warm, saucy favorite in a preheated food jar or make a chilled pasta salad with a cold pack. Either way, short pasta shapes make lunch easy to eat, and a few dinosaurs or zoo animals can make opening that lunchbox extra fun.
The best part? You can do most of the prep the night before. Below, we'll show you how to keep pasta at the right temperature, what travels well, and six simple lunches worth adding to your rotation.
How to Pack Pasta for School Lunch (Hot or Cold)
You can pack pasta for school lunch hot or cold, depending on what your kiddo likes best. Both options are easy to prepare, but keeping the pasta at the right temperature is important. Cooked pasta is perishable, even without meat or cheese, so it needs to stay hot or chilled until lunchtime.
How to Pack Hot Pasta for School Lunch
If your kiddo loves a warm bowl of pasta, a good insulated food jar is about to become your new best friend! It's perfect for packing favorites like buttered noodles, cheesy pasta, or leftover spaghetti without needing a microwave at school.
Here's how to keep their pasta warm until lunchtime:
- Warm up the food jar: Fill it with boiling water, pop the lid on, and let it sit for a few minutes. Be sure to handle this part yourself!
- Get the pasta nice and hot: While the jar warms up, heat the pasta until it's steaming. Add a little extra sauce to keep those noodles from drying out.
- Fill it up: Carefully pour out the hot water, spoon in the pasta, and seal the lid right away.
- Keep it closed until lunch: Use a food jar that's designed to keep food at 140°F or warmer until it's time to eat.
One little tip? Choose a wide-mouth food jar that's easy for small hands to open. Short pasta shapes are especially handy because they're easy to scoop up with a fork, even when lunchtime is a little rushed!
How to Pack Cold Pasta for School Lunch
Cold pasta salads are perfect for those mornings when you need to grab lunch from the fridge and head out the door! Plus, you can make the whole thing the night before, which means one less thing to worry about during the morning rush.
Just cook your pasta according to the package directions, rinse it under cold water, and toss it with your child's favorite veggies, cheese, or dressing. Pop it in a sealed container in the fridge overnight, and it's ready to pack in the morning!
One thing you don't want to forget? The ice packs! The USDA recommends using two cold sources to keep perishable lunches safely chilled at 40°F or below. A couple of frozen gel packs, or an ice pack paired with a frozen water bottle, will help keep that pasta salad cool until lunchtime.
6 Easy Pasta Lunch Ideas Kids Will Love
Need a little inspiration for next week's lunchboxes? These six pasta ideas are easy to put together, with a mix of hot lunches for chilly days and cold pasta salads you can prep the night before. And for a little extra fun, try swapping regular noodles for your child's favorite pasta shapes!
1. Buttery Dinosaur Pasta With Parmesan (Hot)
Product Featured: Dinosaur Pasta
Sometimes, the simplest lunches are the biggest hits! If your child loves buttered noodles, give their usual favorite a fun twist with Pastabilities Dinosaur Pasta.
Toss the cooked pasta with a little butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add a splash of warm pasta water to keep everything nicely coated, then pack it in a preheated food jar. Throw in some sliced strawberries or another favorite fruit on the side, and lunch is ready!
2. Mini Pizza Pasta Salad (Hot)
Product Featured: Halloween Pasta
Pizza in pasta form? Yes, please! If your child loves pepperoni pizza, this cheesy pasta version might just become their new favorite school lunch.
Our Pepperoni Pizza Pasta recipe combines pasta with marinara sauce, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and plenty of melted mozzarella. It's got all those familiar pizza flavors in a fun, fork-friendly meal!
Make an extra batch for dinner, then save some for tomorrow's lunch. Just reheat it in the morning, add a little extra sauce if needed, and pack it in a preheated food jar. Easy peasy!
3. Pesto Pasta With Sweet Peas (Hot or Cold)
A little pesto can turn plain pasta into something pretty delicious, and this lunch is just as good cold as it is warm!
Toss cooked pasta with a spoonful of pesto and some tender, cooked peas. The peas add a pop of sweetness, while the pesto gives the noodles plenty of flavor without needing a heavy sauce.
If you enjoy making your own sauces, try our Everyday Basil Parsley Pesto.
4. Under the Sea Mac and Cheese (Hot)
Product Featured: Under the Sea Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is already a lunchtime favorite, but it's even more fun when the noodles are shaped like little sea creatures!
Ourr Under the Sea Mac and Cheese makes this one especially easy. It comes with fun ocean-themed pasta shapes and a mild cheddar cheese mix. Just add milk and butter, and you've got a cheesy lunch your little one will love digging into.
Make an extra portion at dinner, then reheat it the next morning and pack it in a preheated food jar. Add some steamed broccoli or your child's favorite fruit on the side, and lunch is ready!
5. Mexican Chef Pasta Salad (Cold)
Product Featured: Flamingo Pasta
Have a little taco lover at home? This pasta salad might become their new favorite lunch!
Our Mexican Chef Pasta Salad recipe combines taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, juicy tomatoes, shredded cheddar, and pasta with a sweet and tangy Catalina dressing. It's packed with familiar taco-night flavors, just served cold!
You can make most of it the night before and keep it chilled until morning. Pack the crunchy tortilla chips in a separate container so they one can sprinkle them on at lunchtime. And if your child isn't a fan of onions or avocado, feel free to leave those out!
6. Leftover Marinara Pasta (Hot)
Product Featured: Good Luck Pasta
Made pasta with marinara for dinner? Save an extra portion for tomorrow's lunch!
This is one of the easiest ways to get ahead on school lunches because most of the work is already done. Just refrigerate the leftovers after dinner, then reheat the pasta in the morning with a little extra marinara sauce.
Spoon it into a preheated food jar, pack a little fruit or a favorite snack on the side, and you're good to go. One less lunch to make from scratch!
Make Lunch Something to Look Forward To
Packing school lunches doesn't have to mean coming up with something new every day! Sometimes, all it takes is your child's favorite sauce, a few familiar ingredients, and a fun pasta shape to make lunchtime a little more exciting.
From playful dinosaurs to adorable zoo animals, Pastabilities makes it easy to put a little extra fun in their lunchbox.
Ready to make lunchtime more fun? Explore our Fun Pasta Shapes collection and find a new favorite for your little one!